Finance

Live events inject A$104m into Western Australian economy

Featured Image: Raph_PH/CC BY 2.0

Western Australia’s economy enjoyed a boost of A$104.9m (£54m/$70m/€63m) over the course of the last financial year thanks to matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and record WWE and Coldplay events.

Securing major events is part of the state government’s plan to create local jobs and support the economy.

“We said we’d put WA on the map for major events, and my government is delivering,” said Western Australia Premier Roger Cook.

“Our major events strategy is creating jobs, supporting small businesses and pumping millions into our economy.

“We’re successfully securing global-scale events, putting the eyes of the world onto Western Australia, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors, and helping our city reach its full potential.

“It’s part of my government’s plan to set up WA for the long term, by diversifying our economy and backing local jobs.”

Coldplay performed in Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 18 and 19 last year with each show attracting nearly 125,000 fans.

It was the highest-attended event by out of state visitors on record with around 40,000 tickets purchased from outside Western Australia.

It is estimated that it generated A$43.4m in economic impact for the state.

WWE Elimination Chamber in Perth was the highest-attended and highest-grossing Elimination Chamber event in the wrestling company’s history.

It generated A$36.2m for the local economy, with more than 52,000 WWE fans present at the Optus Stadium on February 24.

Western Australia also played host to five matches between July and August 2023 for the FIFA Women’s World Cup which generated A$25.3m.

“These are some incredible results and again highlight the huge benefit of investing in and hosting exclusive major and blockbuster events right across Western Australia,” said Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti.

“Importantly, the roughly 65,000 people who travelled from outside WA to specifically attend these events would have stayed overnight, spent money in our restaurants, bars and local businesses, visited tourist attractions and potentially even ventured into our regions.

“These types of events present enormous opportunities in showcasing Western Australia to the world while also providing a massive boost to our local economy, which is why they form such an important part of our overarching tourism strategy.”